| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| dissemble |
to disguise or hide behind a false semblance; conceal the true nature or state of. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| frangible |
easy to break; breakable; fragile. |
| imprimatur |
any official permission or sanction. |
| laconic |
using very few words; succinct; terse. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| misfeasance |
a normally lawful act performed in an unlawful way. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| ontogeny |
the process of biological growth and development of a particular living organism. |
| penury |
severe poverty; pennilessness. |
| pleonasm |
a redundant word, phrase, or expression. |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |